AccorHotels signed an agreement to acquire 85 percent of 21c Museum Hotels, an award-winning hospitality management company that melds the hotel world with a museum experience. The 21c company features a multi-venue contemporary art museum, boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants, with 11 properties currently open and under development across the U.S.

Activities that promote health and well-being have become an important part of meetings, and Ohio honors that trend with a wide variety of venues and events to keep attendees at their best. From salsa dancing in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square to hiking in Columbus or learning to sail in Cleveland, the Buckeye State knows how to make any group fit and relaxed.

In the summer of 2017, seven years of work on the part of the region’s horticulture sector resulted in the arrival of 350 garden writers for the Association for Garden Communicators annual conference, the GWA Annual Conference & Expo. Visit Buffalo Niagara also helped facilitate the event.

Sue Wigston, COO of Eagles Flight, outlines five ways meeting planners can make their meetings more interactive and build attendee engagement.

An oasis in the desert completed the first phase of its $15 million redesign. The Scott—a mission-inspired hotel in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona—reopened in 2017 after significant reconceptualization.

ASAE provides five tips for meeting planners to battle room poachers for their meetings.

Marriott International is merging its three customer loyalty programs August 18, 2018, according to the company. On that date, Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) programs will be combined into one program.

“The Power of Live” was the theme of Cvent Connect 2018 in Las Vegas, and by the record-breaking attendance of the show, delegates seemed to take that as the importance of meeting face to face for four days of innovative content, several new product unveilings and inspiring keynotes.

Cvent released its annual lists of the top cities for meetings and events worldwide. Three new regions were highlighted this year: Caribbean and Latin America (CALA), Canada and Europe.

Former Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) CEO Kevin Hinton was hired as vice president of strategy for Minding Your Business (MYB), an agency focused on creating business opportunities and engaging target audiences for associations, DMOS and other hospitality industry partners.